Liberation of Manila

The Liberation of Manila occurred from 3 February to 3 March 1945 when the US Army, supported by Philippine irregulars, invaded the northern island of Luzon and laid siege to the occupied Philippine capital of Manila. The city, known for its scenic beauty, was ordered to be evacuated by General Masaharu Homma, who did not want for the war to ruin the city. However, junior commander Sanji Iwabuchi decided to stay and fight, and the 17,000 Imperial Japanese Army troops swore to fight to the death. It took the 35,000 US troops and 3,000 irregulars a month to take the city from the Japanese, during which an estimate 100,000 civilians were killed. Neither side could preserve the buildings, as the Americans were forced to reduce much of the city to rubble while taking down machine gun nests, snipers, and hidden artillery, and the Japanese defenders hid in the Intra Muros citadel, where they made their last stand. Iwabuchi committed suicide with a grenade, and the city was liberated on 3 March 1945.